


She is my sin.

by Nessaiya



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Age Difference, Cuddy is the Chief Witch, F/M, First Time, House is actually a nice guy, House's stalker is back, Wilson is nosy, and Ali is not just a horny teenager, and Cuddy is jealous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-05 19:38:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 12,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10315511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nessaiya/pseuds/Nessaiya
Summary: For being the rebel he claims to be, sometimes he’s really thinking too inside the box.





	1. Eighteen

**Author's Note:**

> For being the Hameron girl I claim to be he’s ending up with other girls pretty often…
> 
> Disclaimer: Not mine, so don’t sue, please?

He was leaving the hospital, still debating if he should got to his date – job interview thingy with the nutricionist he had met only a few days ago.

Even if Wilson argued that he was destroying a relationship intentionally – she didn’t seem to have a problem with people being unfatihful. She just didn’t like people who were eating meat…

And Wilson had no right to criticize him, not after dosing him with antidepressants.

What did he know?!

House thought he definitely had the right to be depressed. After all of these months, after being shot, having gotten rid of the pain and then having it return, he had the fucking right.

Foreman was leaving, telling everybody he didn’t want to turn into House.

Chase was doing Cameron. Or the other way round.

And he didn’t need any pills to get rid of depression.

As if he hadn’t been there before.

As if he hadn’t managed nevertheless.

All he needed were the pills to get rid of the pain.

Sighing he turned to the parking lot instead of walking to the bar right across the street.

She would stay alone today because he would go home, and sulk behind closed curtains, maybe play his piano for a while and then drown his depression in a bottle of Jack.

 ***

First he didn’t recognize her, sitting on his bike in lowrider jeans and a tank top under a light jacket, smiling at him while she was twirling a strand of her blond hair around her forefinger.

“Ali… what are you doing here?” he then asked, digging out the name of his little stalker that was still smiling widely at him while he was leaning on his cane, confusedly looking at her.

“My birthday was last week.”

House sighed. He knew that.

Of course he knew it, he still had the calender she gave him in the drawer of his desk, reminding him of the little girl who was craving him of all people.

It had been flattering even when he had to find out that some spores were messing with her brain back then.

“And?”

She sighed, letting the strand fall onto her shoulders.

“I still can’t get you out of my head. I don’t think it were those spores…”

House sighed again.

It was so tempting, especially now when he felt like an old invalid.

“Ali. I am 45 and you are 18. I could be your father.”

She looked at him sincerely.

“Don’t you think I know that? I’m telling myself that I am crazy for so many months now, not that it is working.”

“And what could I probably do about it that wouldn’t leave you feeling like a whore and me like a pedophile?” he asked, deciding to be a bit more blunt, regretting it when her big blue eyes fixed on him, not a bit intimidated.

“Maybe it won’t be like that.”


	2. 95

He didn’t know what possessed him to offer her at least a ride on his bike.

Her thighs were pressing against his, her arms shamelessly went around his waist, only to let her hands flatten on his stomach, to let them wander up to his chest when they were riding through Princeton.

He could feel her firm, young breasts against his back when he accelerated and she slid even closer, making him recite all the bones in the hand while concentrating on the traffic or he would have given in to the sensation pooling between his legs.

Hearing her “Whohoo!!!” when he got on the freeway and sped up made him smile actually.

He had always enjoyed the roaring engine under him.

And he liked the fact that she seemed to enjoy it, too.

She was leaning forward with him, giving the wind no opportunity to slow them down.

“You still think it is a bad idea?!” she screamed over the noise of his bike and against the wind while her arms tightened around him.

He didn’t answer, leaving her to believe he had not heard her.

Yes, he thought it was a bad idea.

But it was a tempting one.

Changing the line in order to get back to Princeton he almost ran into a car when her hand suddenly left his stomach and went down to cup the bulge in his jeans, slightly squeezing it.

It was a bad idea.

But it was a tempting one.

Maybe too tempting.

 ***

He stopped at his appartment, waiting for her to get off the bike before climbing off himself.

“Still enough time to change your mind”, he told the young woman he right now didn’t dare to think of as a girl anymore.

She just smiled at him.

“Still time enough to change _your_ mind. I really don’t want to force you into something you don’t want to do.”

“You should have thought about that before making me come in my pants like a highschool student”, House growled before actually smiling at the embarrassed expression Ali wore now.

Stepping up to her he put his forefinger under her chin, making her look at him.

“Don’t ever be embarrassed by making a guy go off. I haven’t felt that good for a long time.”

She smiled at him. He gave her a smug grin.

“Though next time you better don’t do that while were going 95 mph on a freeway.”

“We were miles away from that car. And I didn’t know you were turned on that much”, she replied and he felt his blood rush into his face.

“You wrap that body around me and expect me not to be turned on? What am I? An eunuch?!” House exclaimed while her fingers twitched, remembering the size of that bulge.

“Definitely not”, she answered, turning away from the bike to face his entrance door.

House didn’t move.

“Still time enough to change your mind”, he said just loud enough for her to hear it. She turned around with a smile.

“Let’s get inside, okay?”


	3. What's the plan?

He let her step in first, actually smiling when she didn’t walk in straight, but rather kicked her shoes off and let her fingers wander over the keys of his piano, taking in as much as she could see in the darkness of the room.

Which reminded him of…

“When do you have to be home?” he asked, and bit on his own tongue when she turned around to him, a horrified expression on her face, that suddenly disappeared.

“Mom and Dad are not home. I can stay as long as I want… Did I just really sound that relieved?” she asked, a shy grin spreading over her face when he switched on the light, suddenly being glad that two days ago he’d had a cleaning fit and his living room was quite representable.

“Yah, you did. Do I have to feed you?”

A snort escaped her, turning into a laughter.

“I think that depends on how long you are keeping me.”

Shaking his head House closed his entrance door and walked up to her.

“So… what’s the plan?”

Ali once again dropped her glance to her feet.

“I… actually I didn’t think I would get that far. I thought you would kick me off your bike… or that black haired witch would do that for you.”

Once again he made her look at him.

“You sure must have imagined something…”, he said, looking into those big blue eyes, watching him so innocently.

“Tons of things… involving that exam room we met, your bike… your home”, she answered, actually looking around for the first time, spotting his leather couch. Somehow it did look comfortable.

House just shook his head.

“Your bike fantasy’s already done, then”, he stated, grinning when she blushed.

“What did we do at my home? Except for the obvious, of course”, he then wanted to know, seeing her blush even more.

“Why so shy all of a sudden?”

Her eyes once more landed on her feet, and her voice was silent when she told him.

“I’m still a virgin… I… I don’t…”

His hands fisted when he reminded himself that an 18 year old was standing in front of him, and not one of the women he normally took home.

When she turned around he stopped her.

“Hey, it’s okay… I just assumed from how you were acting… Girl, what you did to me on that bike…”

“That was… unintentionally…”

“Good unintention, then”, he smiled, once more catching her chin in his hand.

“What’s wrong, Ali? If you don’t want this old thing as your first then just tell me, I won’t get mad. We’ll eat something and I’ll take you home.”

It sure as hell would be better if it was that way.

“What… if I do want you as my first…?” Ali asked, still having to face him, even though she tried to look at the floor again.

“You… are used to women with way more experience…”

He silenced her by kissing her lips softly, being surprised himself by this action.

“You are so young… you’ll have so much time to gather that experience.”

She kissed him back, her arms closing around his waist.

“I think I’ll have to contradict that statement from before”, she told him, getting a confused look.

“If I thought you were old I wouldn’t be here”, Ali said, before closing her lips on his once more, making out until her hands had slipped under his shirt, caressing his bare back while his free hand was lost in her hair, keeping her head where it was.

When he broke the kiss she looked at him confused.

“I’d like to use both of my hands”, he informed her before dragging her along with him to the couch, dropping his cane to the floor before catching her face in both of his hands when she sat down next to him.

“I’ll ask you one more time: Are you really sure?”

In his head two voices were screaming at him, one of them telling him that he was destroying the girl if he went on, while the other told him she would be fine and he would have one good night.

She mirrored his gesture, but didn’t say a word, just kissed him and he let his arms drop, encircling her slim waist, telling both of the voices to leave him alone.

 

Working on the jacket he once more told himself that he should stop now.

When she shrugged it off, throwing it carelessly on his floor while french kissing him like a pro this thought dissappeared and his hands went for the next obstacle in his way. Her nimble fingers were working on his button down shirt and when he noticed they were not shaking he slid his long pianist’s fingers under the hem of her shirt.

She wore no bra.

And she willingly lifted her arms for him to take the shirt off.

“They’re just as perfect as they were the last time”, he sighed, getting a grin from Ali.

“So… you _did_ look?”

Running his forefinger over one rosy nipple made her sigh and him humm.

“I’m a man and I’m not dead. Of course I did look. Gave me some very vivid imaginations”, he then admitted, this time enjoying it when she blushed.

“What did I tell you?”

She looked at him with those blue eyes again.

“To never be embarrassed by making a guy go off…”, Ali repeated, this time more bluntly claiming his lips while he cupped her left breast with his hand, feeling one pert nipple pushing against his palm.

“Though I think that guy’s only you, since I’m not really popular…”, she said after breaking the kiss and got a confused look.

“The guys in your school blind and dumb?” House asked. She was pretty, tall, thin, blonde and female, the cheerleader type that never even thought about him when he…

“Since when are the smart kids the cool kids in school?” Ali interrupted his musings, making him frown.

Still, with her looks…

“I’m president of the maths club and chess club… and have absolutely no interest in jumping around to cheer on these dumb guys consisting only of muscles and hormones while they’re hunting after a piece of leather”, she stated and House shook his head.

“Babe, where were you when I was 18?”

He didn’t let her answer that, because it definitely would have destroyed his mood, but rather turned his attention back to her firm breasts, this time running his tongue over the nipple he had been playing with before, freeing a silent moan.

“That feels good…”, she told him, encouraging him to continue while her fingers got lost in his hair, ever so slightly massaging his scalp, his fingers sneaking down to the button of her jeans, opening it.

Taking a glance at her underwear he had to laugh.

“You know you helped me solve a case with that red thong?”

All he got was a confused, slightly distanced look as if he had woken her from some kind of dream.

She was really enjoying this.

Which was somehow an ego boost for him.

“We should relocate this into the bedroom”, he told her, his pants suddenly feeling too tight, when she grabbed his hand, making him caress her again.

“The couch is comfortable”, was her confused answer and he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her again, briefly thinking that his beard was leaving marks on her soft skin.

“You won’t think that when the sweaty part begins”, he told her, seeing realization in her face after some seconds.

“If you ask me one more time if I really want this, I’ll have my way with you on the floor”, she threatened, making him laugh out loud while he grabbed his cane off the floor and stood up with her.


	4. First.

She followed him into his bedroom, once more looking around.

Everything in there was made of dark wood… the bed was unmade, what seemed more like him than the dark furniture.

She surprised him when he turned around and found her standing directly behind him, her hands reaching for the buttons of his shirt once more.

“You’re moving really stealthily”, House said, shrugging out of the button down shirt that was followed by his t-shirt, allowing her to run her fingers through his chesthair.

When her fingers wandered down to the button of his jeans he first clenched and then stopped her.

“Wha…?”

Lowering his head the diagnostician dared not to look at the young woman.

“The scar… it’s…”

This time it was her hand under his chin making him look at her.

“You want me to stop…?”

He shook his head.

“No…”

No. He didn’t want her to stop.

He was craving what she could give to him, even if he was still denying it.

She was opening the button, this time without him stopping her, seeing her eyes go wide at the sight of the bulge she was freeing.

“I don’t think I will be looking at the scar”, she said with a mischievous grin on her lips as she let her fingertip touch him through the fabric of his boxers, feeling him shiver as he stepped out of his pants.

With a sharp tug he had her pants down, too, making her laugh, when he urged her onto the bed

“I see you’ve made up your mind”, Ali whispered when she was on her back, facing him once more.

“Well… it takes some time, but _when_ I’ve made it up…” He didn’t finish that sentence but rather kissed her again, his hands finding her breasts once more, freeing a groan when he pinched one nipple between thumb and forefinger.

“Tell me… what you want me to do?” Ali asked, getting a low rumble as answer before those ocean blue eyes locked on her.

“I always forget you haven’t done that yet… Lie back, relax, and enjoy?” House then said, tilting his head to one side until she started to smile.

“Okay… but if it starts to get boring for you, you tell me…”

At that he let out a snort before kissing her once more, the soft skin on her chin already turning red by the abuse his stubble did to her. His left hand found her breast again, caressing it while his tongue was exploring her mouth.

Encouraged by her response he soon lowered his lips to her breasts, his hand aiming for more southern parts, feeling her shiver when he touched her for the first time, not really touching her but running his fingers over the fabric of the red thong covering her mound.

Running the pad of his forefinger once more over her folds he felt her shiver under his hands, freeing a surprised sound when he finally slipped it under the fabric, touching her directly.

Feeling the wetness between her legs made him hold his breath, just as she arched her body against him when he found that sensitive nub, adding a little more pressure there. Sliding the whole length of his middle finger between her folds he watched her, eyes closed, lips slightly appart.

“How does that feel?” he whispered, repeating his movement.

Her eyes fluttered open, looking at him somewhat distracted just as he was kissing her breast again, running his tongue around the erect nub.

“ ‘s different”, she managed to get out before closing her eyes again, tilting her head back

“Different? From touching yourself…?” he asked, groaning at the thought of that while once more brushing over her clit.

She moaned a silent “Yah…” when he abbandoned her nipple, soft kisses trailing down her stomach, his tongue drawing a wet circle around her navel.

She protested when he slipped his hand out from under her panties, opening her eyes when he grabbed at both sides of the last obstacle, this time not asking her if she really wanted it when he pulled it down her legs, making her blush when he looked at her shamelessly.

“Glad to see you’re a natural blonde”, House stated before once more kissing her stomach, his chin touching the upper end of neatly trimmed pubic hair, freeing a girly giggle that stopped when he continued his path of kisses.

He heard her hiss when he ran his tongue over her folds for the first time, her breathing really accelerating when he first touched the tiny bundle of highly sensitive nerves hidden between them. She surprised him by sneaking her hands into his hair, holding him where he was while opening her legs wider for him.

She truly was a natural and he could feel his member twitch in anticipation for what was yet to come.

“In my nightstand there are…” he started, getting a look from her as if he was disturbing something by speaking. Realizing what he had said she shook her head.

“ ‘m on the pill…”

He once more tilted his head.

It was careless.

“Ali…”

Her eyes focused on him, once more shutting him up.

“I want all of you.”

And she would get all of him – that her gaze told him.

Nevertheless she added a “Please…” which made him scurry up from his current position and kiss her roughly.

“Ali…”

She just continued to look at him, mimicking his expression when she said “Greg…”

He couldn’t stop the shiver running down his spine when he heard his name, just as she leaned in to kiss him, her hand sneaking down, small fingers closing around the silken skin of his throbbing shaft, soft fingertips slowly caressing him, making him moan into her mouth.

“You sure you’ve never done that before?” he asked with a smile on his lips while doing everything to not thrust into her hand.

She smiled back.

“Yep…”

His hips involuntarily moved forwards, so he made her let go off him, his long fingers once more starting to caress  her, eventually slipping one finger into her hot core, causing her to moan with every stroke until he himself wanted to replace the finger, being her reason to feel good.

“You ready?” he asked, getting a scoff as answer that made him laugh out loud.

“Okay, okay… I’ll get going. Slave driver.”

She joined his laughter, her arms sneaking around his shoulders as he took his place between her legs, hissing when the head of his penis touched her wet entrance.

Balancing his weight on his forearms he looked at her as her blue eyes watched him, fingers curling in his hair.

“Don’t you dare to ask now”, she whispered, stopping his attempt to be sure she wanted it before he even had the chance to say something.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want it”, she continued, her hands forcing his head down for a searing kiss just as his one hand went down to brush over her clit for one last time, making her gasp sensually just as he thrust through the very last obstacle, moaning loudly as he was sheathed inside her.

Her hips bucked against him.

“Don’t move”, he ordered breathlessly, fighting against the urge to thrust as hard as he could into her, feeling the tightness of her squeeze him in a way that made him forget his name.

She bucked against him again, making him bury his head in the crook of her neck, nearly pleading her now in a whisper.

“Don’t move…”

Holding her close to him she obeyed.

“This… you… feel great…” she whispered in his ear, making his hips move against her, making her fingers claw into his back.


	5. High

He had heard the painful hiss, pleading once more: “Don’t move… give yourself some time to adjust…”

His oceanblue eyes earnestly looked at her, his large hands caressing her hair. He was no schoolboy anymore and he knew how to take his time, he knew how to guide her, and he gladly would – making sure she had a good time, too.

“That’s easier said than done”, Ali answered. Somehow her lower half seemed to have developed a life of its own, all sensation pooling between her legs where she was joined with him – feeling like something that didn’t belong there, somehow painful, but somehow also promising more, promising something ...

His beard scratching over abused skin on her chin again, suprisingly soft lips searching her mouth made her focus on him again, how her breast touched his arm when he caressed over her cheek.

“Just relax”, he whispered, kissing her again, his arms closing around her, fingers losing themselves in her hair, her senses wandering to the soft hair on his chest tickling her skin…

“I… want you to feel good, too”, Ali whispered, her eyes locking on his and he almost laughed. From his point of view he already was in paradise…

“Don’t you worry about me”, he whispered back, his lips again sealing hers.

This time he moved intentionally, one lazy thrust to test if she would clench again.

Her thighs went up to his waist as her fingernails once again clawed into his back, a low moan escaping her throat. He didn’t realize that his own voice was joining hers as she encouragingly moved against him.

Almost forgetting who was with him he pulled out almost all the way, teasing her a little before preparing for one powerful thrust, though a tiny whimper in the back of her throat made him aware of his bedcompanion again, gritting his teeth and gently moving against her, burying himself all the way in her heat.

He was awarded by her closing her legs behind his ass, pushing him in even deeper, making him moan loudly.

Bringing a grin to her face.

He just rolled his eyes, then rather lowered his head to her breasts again, her chest moving up and down under heavier breaths than only minutes before, setting a slow but steady rhythm while running his tongue around one of these delicate nipples.

He nearly lost it when one of her hands left his back and disappeared between their bodies, stroking herself just as he could feel his climax building inside him, though he still was battling against it with gritted teeth, one of his hands pinching a painfully erect nipple causing her to gasp.

“I’m gonna…!”

Lifting her legs and closing them behind his back changed the angle he was pushing into her, his lips desperately searching for hers again when she arched against him, never letting her finish her sentence.

“Don’t come yet…”, he panted, her hand stopping her movements, only to be replaced by one of his long pianist’s fingers, the pad easily finding this sensitive nub of nerves, rubbing it only a few times before her inner muscles closed around his throbbing shaft in a deadly grip, making him throw his head back.

“Fu…!”

Ali went stiff in his arms, his release causing him to grunt loudly as her muscles rhythmically contracted around him. Breathing heavily he once again hid his head against her shoulder, taking in her scent while ignoring the soft hair tickling his nose, waiting till she started to move again, one of her hands that had been clawing his back releasing its hold.

Pulling out he rolled off her finally, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, his mind slowly rebooting from pleasure to normal.

But sometimes even slowly was too fast.

What had he done?


	6. Different?

A little later he felt the mattress move next to him, his mind still busy contemplating what the last 30 minutes would mean. What they would change – 30 minutes he was sure now were hot reality when he felt the movement.

Hot reality that now was wandering into his bathroom, placing her feet silently on his wooden floor, blonde hair cascading down her bare back.

What made him get up, too, he did not really know – but since she gave herself to him, the least he could do was make sure she was okay, he reasoned.

So he stopped at the bathroom door, watching the girl… the young woman in there, intently observing her face in the mirror.

She had crossed her arms in front of her body, drawing his attention once more to her breasts, his fingers itching for the sensation of the soft skin and he told himself that it was wrong. She was so young, she should make studdly football heros go crazy and not an old misanthrope like him think about… tomorrow…

 

“I thought I would look… different…”, her voice startled him out of yet another vivid imagination and when he looked up she had not moved one limb, still watching herself in the mirror. She made a face at her image, then tilted her head to one side.

“Like a stamp on my forehead “I did it”, “Member of the club”, or something like that…”, he heard her say, followed by a nervous giggle. He didn’t know what to reply so he kept silent, just continued watching her as she scrutinized herself.

“I feel different, though”, she continued after a while, her gaze focusing on him now.

“Thank you.”

Again not knowing what to say House scratched the back of his head.

“You’re welcome… I guess…”


	7. Or still the same?

He had felt really uncomfortable afterwards, not knowing what to say to Ali, not wanting to throw her out of his home once he was finished with her. The sight of her naked body in his bathroom made him want to do things he once again denied himself.

Ali had taken it into her own hands, smiling at him, kissing the tip of his nose while passing through the door, and while he still was staring at her, not knowing what to do, she was collecting her clothes and getting dressed.

Her blue eyes earnestly looked at him when she told him that she would take the bus in order to get home since it was still early enough.

He opened his mouth to ask her if she had enough money, and then realized that it would feel like paying a hooker, so he just said: “Okay”, and watched her leave.

The picture of this red thong haunted his dreams for weeks, sometimes making it impossible to sleep, and sometimes it was affecting his “House’s next underlings” show, with him being extra grouchy, extra mean to just everyone.

He flat out refused Cuddy’s order to work with Foreman again, by just stopping to do anything in the hospital, be it Clinic hours or saving his patient of the week, until she gave in finally. She didn’t give in easily though, was threatening to even fire him.

Empty threats. She’d used that card so often it was almost ripped to pieces by now.

He fired the mormon because his skin color reminded him of this traitor, not because he was working with Cuddy.

To everybody around him he just appeard like his normal, jerk of an asshole self.

And for some time he even believed it himself, that nothing had changed and he was still the same

Cameron’s new hair color made him think about Ali, and while telling her she was looking like a hooker and giving her one of his sexy smiles, he was cursing her for not going for “Wild Cherry”.

The CIA-doctor made him act stupid, making him think he was finally over it.

Of course he had to fire her since she was not the brightest bulb in his thinning bunch of victims.

And he was glad she didn’t want to go on a date with him later.

She just wouldn’t have been…

Growling at himself House once again grabbed the folder of his newest patient-victim and tried to distract his mind while soon to be thrown out applicants and soon to be ducklings wishing they were the ones he had thrown out after a few weeks observed him secretly.

He did not know it yet, but all of them were afraid of him by now.

To everybody around him he just appeard like his normal, jerk of an asshole self.

He himself had the feeling that something was missing.

 

***

 

She had thought it would be over after she had what she wanted.

That she could stop feeling weird for wanting him, craving a man that could be her father instead of the stud of the week, whoever it was that was wearing the coolest leather jacket or managed to breed something similar to a beard.

Bad thing was: No matter how cool the leather jacket might be – his was cooler, he was wearing it in a way those boys would never be able to.

And those fluffy hairs in their faces could never match the feeling of this stubble against soft skin…

She wanted a man and not one of the boys and once again told herself that she was crazy, that she was not normal.

Sighing Ali watched her image in the car window, ignoring how her parents argued about the best way to leave Princeton without getting stuck in a traffic jam.

Her mind replayed those 30 minutes. Over and over.

She could still feel his eyes on her, and for the shortest time she thought about just staying here, forgetting the world, giving up everything else out there for those blissful moments.

But that wasn’t her, her hyperactive brain all too soon reminding her that the world, everybody else wouldn’t easily accept those moments.

So she just would go on, and everything would go back to normal, and she would just be the same with a great story to tell to her grandchildren once.

Yeah. She would just be the same.

Then why did it feel like something was missing?


	8. Stranger things have happened...

“You’re not going home, are you?” a voice behind him startled him, making him pull a face at the person who oh so unexprectedly had appeared behind him when he was stepping out of the elevator, leather jacket on, backpack over his shoulder. He briefly wondered how long she had been waiting there for him.

“No, I just thought everybody might like me modelling around here a bit”, he replied, shaking imaginary long hair back while leaning on his cane, prepairing what to tell her so he could escape from what would be following now.

“You still owe me one hour of clinic today”, Cuddy told him.

“And no matter how much your leg hurts today or how many hours Brenda didn’t write up, I’ll be getting this hour. There’s been an accident on the highway, and we’re short staffed in the emergency room.

“And you really think those people want _me_ to treat them?” he asked, rolling his eyes and turning around to once again give those fake sick people a speech that would drive them home in no time.

Cuddy was faster, though, when he opened the door, almost yelling: “You!”

House’s gaze followed hers, locking onto a person sitting on a chair in the corner.

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you…”

“I just needed to sit down…”, Ali declared silently, holding her left arm to her body.

“I told you not to come to this hospital anymore!” Cuddy growled, approaching the girl while ignoring the glances the other patients were sending her.

“Well, sorry, the driver of the ambulance didn’t listen to me when I told him that the Chief Witch didn’t want me in her hospital while he and his colleagues…”, Ali defiantly started to defend herself but ended with a painful scream when Cuddy grabbed her arm, pulling her up from the chair she was occupying.

Watching Ali turn even paler than before House jumped into action.

“It is a shame how patients are treated here by the administration, why don’t you just let us doctors do our jobs?” he declared loud enough for the whole hospital to hear while Cuddy became aware of all the other people looking at her. Before she could say anything House locked his gaze on Ali.

“Come on.”

They both had disappeared in one of the exam rooms before Cuddy even tried to close her mouth and started contemplating to follow them and throw the stalker out. Angry glances from all around the waiting area made her want to hide in her office, though, sulking about the fact that House once more bluntly told her that in his eyes she was no doctor anymore.

It hurt.

How did he always know how to hurt her?

 

***

 

It hurt.

So much that she couldn’t stop the tears running down her face. Craddling her arm once again to her body Ali walked into the exam room and waited for House to close the door. He did close it, but didn’t turn around.

“Why are you here?”

“There was an accident on the highway. The ambulance brought us here, I didn’t want to…”, Ali started, but didn’t really know what she didn’t want to. Stalk him again? See him again? Jump him right now?

“You’re hurt”, House declared, this time turning around and indicating her arm, watching her closer.

“You got a new haircut”, he then stated, urging down a smile when he saw the corners of her mouth twitch upwards.

“Why are you here? Car crashs are treated in the ER”, he then said. If she really started stalking him again, he’d have to do something against it.

“They said that I was no urgent case… I think a broken arm is not that important when ten cars run into each other.”

So that was why the ER was short staffed.

“We’ll X-ray that arm”, he declared, stepping up to her, watching her nod in agreement.

 

***

 

“I think I should get my eyes checked”, Chase told Cameron when he left the ER, getting a questioning look from his girlfriend.

“Why?”

“’Cause I think I just saw House fix a cast on the arm of one of the accident victims. Way beyond his quitting time”, he replied.

“Well, maybe Cuddy forced him to…”, the immunologist reasoned. Actually, that was the only reason she could come up with. But then, she didn’t want to think about House too much, because then all her reasons why she left him somehow became unreasonable.

“How’s the head injury?” she rather asked then.

“Stable. Let’s see what the night brings…”


	9. I'm still breathing...

She was awfully silent while he was threatening nurses and radiologists with their early death and even worse if they wouldn’t serve him first.

And while everybody in the hospital was wondering what was so special about his patient that he actually did work, he carefully was bandaging the injured arm.

“Those people out there…”, she started after a while, causing him to look up from his task.

“Hmm?”

“They were looking at you all the time…”

House snorted.

“Didn’t happen that often in the past that I took over radiology. I’m more the CT kinda guy…”, he replied while never stopping to fix the cast.

“You shouldn’t have made such a fuss because of me… one of the nurses looked like she was about to cry”, Ali stated, her gaze never leaving the wall behind his back.

His eyes weren’t leaving her arm, watching his fingers complete their work.

“They need a strong hand. Otherwise they dawdle”, he defended himself.

He never had made a nurse cry before because he needed an X-ray …

 

*** 

 

They  continued watching him, how he accompanied Ali to the pharmacy, and later walked with her to the nurses counter.

“Tell them to call your parents… and if you should feel sick or…”

Ali sent him a shocked look out of wide blue eyes.

How could she forget…?

“They’re here, too!” Ali exclaimed, her good hand clawing his arm now.

This time House calmly watched her.

“Then maybe we should find out how they are”, he said, turning to the nurse.

 

***

 

The  nurse had called her Sweetie, and House managed not to grin when he saw Ali scoff.

Her parents would have to stay at the hospital for some time, though, and while the young woman took off to tell them she was still alive he made a detour to his office.

“You are still here?” a familiar voice asked him before he even had the chance to open the door.

“What did I tell you about haunting this floor?” was his sort of answer to the obvious and Wilson made a face.

“It’s way beyond your quitting time”, he then said.

“And it’s ‘state the obvious’ time again”, House rolled his eyes. “Can’t you just ask what you want to know?”

Wilson sighed, but then reminded himself that his friend had never been a friend of small talk.

“I heard you made a nurse cry again…”

“As if that’s been a first. Ask what you want for heaven’s sake or leave me alone!” House exploded, thinking to himself that he had maybe been too nice for too long when taking care of Ali.

“Your stalker’s back”, the oncologist stated carefully.

“She’s 18. I can do her as much as I want”, House said, opening the door to his office. He would not have this conversation again.

“You could be her father!”

“Should have more kids then, seems I make them really pretty”, House spat, before disappearing in his office, leaving Wilson standing out there, looking really silly first, but after some seconds that expression changed to thoughtful.

Lisa Cuddy found him there, still frozen to his spot in front of House’s door.

“Is he in there?! Because…”

“Do you know if House had a girlfriend 19 years ago?” he interrupted her rant.

“What?”


	10. Hot and cold

While Wilson was telling Cuddy about the weird conversation he just had with his friend, said friend had sat down at his desk, thinking.

Thinking what he normally would have done after something like his encounter with an 18-year old.

Boasting with his conquer, that was what he normally would have done, not caring if anyone actually believed him.

He hadn’t lost one word about Ali to any of his colleagues.

And now he had to find out the hard way that he cared.

Thinking about ten cars crashing into each other made him think about what could have happened to her and suddenly he was glad he’d only had to deal with a broken arm, some tears and some stupid questions from his best friend.

Sure as hell worse could have happened, and he really didn’t want to think about any of that.

What  confused him even more was that he was having these thoughts…

That it did affect him when something happened to her…

 

***

 

A sound at the entrance door to his office made him look up, seing the main character of his musings open it, with Wilson and Cuddy sticking their heads together somewhere back in the hall.

“Hey”, Ali stated silently, closing the door behind her.

“Hey”, he answered, but he didn’t know what to say then.

“How are your parents?” was the only thing he finally could come up with.

Ali sighed.

“Alive and in a few months hopefully on their way back to normal. The nurse threw me out. And the Chief Witch and that guy out there are talking about you”, the young woman informed him with a gesture of her right hand towards Wilson and Cuddy.

Indeed they both still stuck their heads together, staring openly into his office.

“Well, they don’t have a life of their own… do you know how to get home?” House asked, getting up from his chair to get a better look at his friend and his boss who now realized what they were doing and chose to hide behind the next corner.

Ali shook her head at his question.

“I have no clue where my purse is, they cut open my jacket in the ambulance and my keys also are somewhere in the car…”

With a heavy sigh she ran her good hand through her hair. This would be a long night, and hard work to get all her stuff back.

House just grabbed his jacket.

“Come on. We’ll take care of that tomorrow.”

 

***

 

That guy out there and the Chief Witch watched openmouthed how House placed his leather jacket on the shoulders of the blonde woman in his office before throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

They watched how he opened the door for her, how they both disappeared into the elevator and then looked at each other.

“He seems to believe it”, Cuddy said.

 

*** 

 

“This is your car?” Ali critically looked at the vehicle standing at his parking place.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s too cold for the bike, and snow doesn’t match with my oldtimer corvette…” House shrugged his shoulders.

“But… this?” She looked at the dirty blue in front of her and crincled her nose.

House just shrugged again.

“It’s got four wheels, a motor and takes me from my home to work and back, doesn’t have to win any prizes… And I got a bunch of applicants that will scrubb it tomorrow”, he grinned then, opening the door on the passenger site for her.

“Okay, that I want to see. That, and the hot car”, she grinned now, making him laugh while he got to his site.

 

 ***

 

He stopped his _ugly_ car right in front of his house, gently shaking Ali who had, wrapped into his leather jacket, fallen asleep somewhere between the parking lot of the hospital and the first traffic light.

At least she didn’t seem to have any problems with getting into a car despite what had happened to her today.

“Wake up. We’re there”, he said, being watched out of sleep clouded, blue eyes.

Her good hand reached out, stroking over his cheek.

“You’re not a dream”, she said, assuring herself that she was not crazy, that this was real.

“Nope. Just the knight in shining armor”, he replied, smiling along with the smile that spread around her lips.


	11. Where is my mind?

Straightening up after getting out of the car caused Ali to groan, what caused House to start worrying again.

“You okay?”

“I was in a car crash… I think I’m supposed to feel all of my bones”, was her answer when she stepped around the vehicle.

House just led the way to his entrance door, letting them both in and throwing his key onto the piano the moment Ali started to kick her shoes of. A bit amused he watched her struggle to get out of the jacket with only one useful arm, seeing her fail, and directing some puppy eyes at him.

“Help.”

So he did peel her out of his jacket, and briefly fisted his hands when the urge to go further didn’t disappear when he willed it to. So he rather let his eyes wander, stopping at red, abused skin on her neck.

“What’s that?”

“What’s what?” Ali asked confused, still bathing in the heat radiating from the man in front of her.

“Did they check you for internal injuries?”

“What? No. Why?”

“Because when a car goes from driving to stop in under one second, not only you get shaked, but also everything inside you”, he explained while agitatedly shrugging out of his blazer.

“Come on.”

“I’m fine…” the young woman responded but was dragged into the living room anyway, where House made her sit down on his couch and started to take of her shirt.

“Uh… Greg… what…?”

Okay, where had her ability to form sentences that also made sense gone?

Meanwhile long fingers started a tender examination of her upper body, along the angry red mark the seatbelt had left, the hematomes from crashing into the front seat.

When he was reassured that her stomach was okay, her liver was not damaged, and also the kidneys were still in their place, he went up to the ribcage, feeling her jerk away.

“That hurt?”

“Nah… ticklish. I’m okay”, Ali repeated, catching his hand.

“But…”, he tried to disagree but was caught in her blue gaze.

“I promise, you’ll be the first to know if I should start feeling bad. But right now I’d rather have some sleep instead of your hands all over me…”

 

***

 

He didn’t offer her his bed. They might be two cripples, but she was the younger one, so he deserved some comfort.

Though the main reason for not offering his bed was that she declared she would stay on the couch, no matter what he would say.

So now he lay in his bed, on his back and couldn’t fall asleep, listening to the tiniest sound that could be made, asking himself why he was going crazy like this at the same time.

All he had done this evening was what a sane person would do – well, most of it a sane person would have done – to help a patient.

He normally didn’t help patients. Not the ones that were so easy to diagnose.

And he didn’t take patients home, lying awake in his bed, thingking about them.

With a sigh he turned to his side, closing his eyes. Maybe he could at least doze a little, but without a freakout, hopefully.

Because he really had no clue why he was doing all this.

 

***

 

He woke in the middle of the night, not really knowing what made him wake up until he managed to make out a figure in front of him, standing at his side of the bed.

“You okay?” he asked again, for so many times he had asked these two words today which he normally didn’t take into his mouth.

The person in front of him didn’t answer but grabbed at his blanket, slowly lifting it.

“What’s that supposed to…?” he demanded to know. At least he started to, but closed his mouth again, when Ali climbed under the blanket, resting her head heavily on his right arm, wriggling her butt against his hip until she was comfortable and he had to suppress a groan.

“Ali…”

“Couldn’t sleep out there”, she mumbled, dragging his left arm around her.

House rolled his eyes.

“You continue wriggling your bum like that and I won’t let you sleep!” he threatened, getting only a lazy giggle as answer as her head started to feel even heavier. Giving in to her tuggs at his arm he finally enveloped her in an embrace, whispering in her ear: “That’s to get back at me for rolling off and not cuddling with you back then, right?”

His answer were some deep breaths.

Great.

And how was he supposed to sleep this night?


	12. Games

“Wake up.”

He briefly thought about that, but then decided that it was way to warm and way to comfortable to do this.

“Greg…”

Burying his nose against something hard and warm that smelled good he grunted a “Hrmm?”, not really reacting to his first name. Everybody who could want something from him was calling him House. People calling him Greg were related to him.

“Greg!”

“Five minutes, Mom…” he grunted, getting a giggle as answer.

“In five minutes you will have a wet bed if you don’t let go off me”, Ali informed the man who was holding her in a wrestling grip she wasn’t able to wriggle out of.

He made another “Hmmm…” sound, making her think he still didn’t hear her, but then his ironlike grip losened up, so she could get out of bed and jump into the bathroom. As much as an invalid after a car crash could jump.

When she was done she stood in the doorframe for a while, watching him hug his pillow with a smile on her face.

“You going to stand there all day?” he asked, startling her.

“You look sweet when you’re asleep”, she answered with a smile, causing him to actually turn around and open his eyes.

“Aw… you always think I’m sweet”, he teased, crossing his arms behind his head.

The smile on her face faded with her eyes watching her bare toes wriggle nervously and he sighed.

“Come on, get changed. You still need to get your stuff”, he said, switching to a topic that didn’t make both of them feel uncomfortable.

 

***

 

Cuddy spotted them the second they entered the hospital.

Wilson needed some seconds more, but that was because he was stepping out of an exam room, showing a patient out and the nurses’ counter was blocking his view.

Both watched how he accompanied the young woman once more, talked to nurses, and then gave his keys to the girl, making Cuddy flatten her nose on the glass of her office door.

Once his little stalker took off with one of the nurses House marched towards the elevators.

Cuddy and Wilson again shared one of their looks.

 

***

 

When the door to his office opened only one minute after he had placed his tired ass in his beige chair, he managed to suppress a sigh. At least it was not Cuddy. No high heels.

“Don’t pretend to be asleep, you’re here for less than five minutes now”, Wilson said when his friend didn’t open his eyes on his entrance.

“I don’t pretend to be asleep, I’m trying to fall asleep”, House countered, rolling his eyes when his legs were shoved to the side and his friend sat down next to them.

“You took her home?”

“What?”

“Your stalker…”

“She’s not stalking me. And she had no place to go since all her stuff was in the car wreck they pulled her out of.”

“And you took her home”, the oncologist stated.

House shrugged.

“I don’t see a problem there. I was just helping…”

“You’re never helping anyone!” Wilson interrupted him and was looked at critically.

“You don’t help. You just solve the puzzle. You gave her your keys.”

“And that is bothering you because…?” House asked, not actually seeing what Wilson wanted from him.

“You are HELPING her!” Wilson emphazised, making House shrug again.

“And?”

“You DON’T help… you don’t even help your family!”

“How would you know that?” the diagnostician said, internally grinning about how agitated Wilson reacted to the fact that he liked Ali enough to behave like a human being.

The oncologist stared at him for a while.

“Unless… Is she…”, he started, not actually brave enough to ask what he wanted to ask because he didn’t know how House would react.

“Is she what?” House asked when he didn’t continue, but was looking at him as if he had grown a second head.

When Wilson didn’t say anything House sighed.

“If you’re going down the ‘you could be her father’ road again…”

“Are you?” Wilson blurted out, making him frown.

“What?”

“Are you her father? Is that why you are helping her?” the oncologist wanted to know and the diagnostician didn’t know what to say for the shortest moment. Then he saw Ali appear in the hallway, hugging her handbag teary eyed.

“Have to go”, he informed his friend before leaving his office.

 

***

 

“You got everything?” he asked when he reached her.

“I know now why Dad didn’t want to buy the 400$ handbag. Because now it’s ruined. I nagged him long enough to buy it anyway…” she sniffled while rumaging through her pockets to find his keys and give them back, since she could let herself into her own home now.

House watched her for a while.

“C’mere”, he then said, making her look up before gathering her in a bear hug that made not only Wilson’s jaw fall open.

“It’s just a handbag, I’ll survive”, Ali said muffled against his chest, not actually knowing why he made such a show of displaying his affection, still it made her laugh.

“Wilson thinks I’m your Dad.”

“And why would he think that?” she asked, still caught against his chest. Not that she was complaining.

“Because I like to play with his mind…” House shrugged, shaking his head when she was laughing even harder against his chest.

“You really find that amusing?”

“I was just thinking about Chief witch’s face when he tells her what he found out”, she laughed, making him laugh along.


	13. Russian roulette is not the same without a gun

They had to wait till lunch until Wilson was finally able to share his findings with the dean of medicine. House had placed her in his office, with his iPod, a book and the promise to tell her when the moment came.

Until then Ali amused herself by watching the ducklings curiously looking at her through the glass walls of the conference room until their boss reminded them about their newest puzzle. He winked at her when he caught her ogling him and she blushed, making him grin even wider.

Burying her nose in the book about an illness that was called lupus and had a hole carved into it after the first 50 pages, she actually jumped when he ripped open the door to his office.

“Come on, come on, come on, he just left his office!!!” House exclaimed, shooing her up from her comfortable place, grabbing her right hand and dragged her along with him, the book still flying after he had ripped it out of her hands, when the door closed behind them.

“You know, that arm is attached to my body, right?!” Ali asked, laughing about his agitated behaviour, following him into the elevator where he impatiently hammered onto the button for the ground floor with his cane.

She only realized that he hadn’t let go of her hand when there was the next sharp tug on it as the doors of the elevator opened and he dragged her out of it.

 ***

Not a second too late, because just in this moment the door to Lisa Cuddy’s office closed behind James Wilson.

 ***

 “You know, it is polite to knock when…” Lisa Cuddy started, actually expecting someone with a cane marching into her office as unannouced as ever. Looking up, she frowned.

“Did House finally brainwash you enough to…?”

Wilson sighed and didn’t let her finish that sentence.

“I think he’s the one being brainwashed.”

Narrowing her eyes on him, the dean of medicine offered him to take a seat.

“Being brainwashed?” she then repeated.

“He thinks he’s her father.”

 

***

 

Outside the office nurse Brenda thought about selling popcorn. Because she would have made a lot of money with all the people standing there, behind House and the young woman that were snickering like crazy. Taking a look at what was actually so interesting in there, she saw the back of Dr. Wilson. And Dr. Cuddy. Making the most stupid face she’d ever seen. A grin appeared on her face and she couldn’t do anything against it.

Whatever stunt House had pulled again to make this expression appear on the dean of medicine’s face, it was worth the laugh.

 

***

 

“He thinks…”

“I actually think he believes he’s her father. He’s behaving like… a human being. He did comfort her!” Wilson told the woman at the other end of the desk who was still shaking her head

“He.. that… that can’t be!” she exclaimed then. At that Wilson frowned.

“He’s not actually living like a monk, you know. And I bet he hasn’t 19 years ago.”

“She can’t be his daughter.”

“And you know that, because…?”

Cuddy took a deep breath, searching for an answer.

“She doesn’t look like him.”

Wilson rolled his eyes.

“She’s only half of his genes. And she’s lanky, tall… has blue eyes…”

“She was coming onto him…”

Again, the oncologist rolled his eyes.

“She’s got half of his genes…?” he then offered, shrugging again.

“He seems happy, he finally really seems to like a person… maybe the girl is what he needed.”

“She’s playing him.” Cuddy said.

“How would you know that?”

 

***

 

“It looks like they’re arguing now”, Ali whispered.

“I think Wilson just tried to tell Cuddy that I’m not living in celibacy and she doesn’t want to believe him, she wants to believe in my angelic behaviour”, he offered, still grinning.

By now Wilson had gotten up, pacing up and down in front of the desk.

House again tugged on her arm.

“Let’s get out of here before they get the idea of actually asking what’s going on.”

“Wait, she seems really angry now!”

“The more reason to get out of here!” House informed her, dragging here along.

 

***

 

“Five minutes ago you said you believe he’s being brainwashed!” Cuddy exclaimed, also getting up from her chair.

“Yah, because he was nice.”

“House is never nice.”

Wilson rolled his eyes again. She was doing it again, stereotyping House.

“Of yourse he can be nice. You just would never recognize it”, he muttered.

“What?!”

“Can’t you just be glad that he… found someone who seems to make him want to appear human?”

“I should be glad he found someone who will rip him off and leave him even more depressed than he’s already when she’s done with him?”

“Have you always been this pessimistic?” Wilson asked before turning around to leave her office. It seemed that when House was behaving normally, finally, Cuddy got the bad-mood-bug.

Snickering at this thought he had to stop right after the door because of the masses of people who were trying to get over each other back to their workplace.

 

 ***

 

“Have you seen her face?! That was great, great, great!!!” Ali exclaimed breathlessly, turning around, bumping into the grinning man behind her.

“Yah… I think I could count the fillings of her teeth…” House started, his arm going around her as she stumbled a bit, keeping her close. His grin faded.

“I…”, he started, seeing her expression turn earnest.

Ali didn’t move. Involuntarily she grabbed harder at his hand that was still holding hers.

“We should…” she whispered.

She forgot what they should do when his lips found hers and time once again since so many months seemed to stand still.

His cane fell to the floor unnoticed, the free hand wandering up to her soft cheek, his thumb caressing over the soft skin while his brain forgot to tell him that the world just went from funny to complicated as hell in under a second.


	14. The perfect word

She didn’t know how long they had been standing there, first kissing, then leaning their foreheads together.

“How…?” she started silently.

“I have no clue”, he answered as silently, is thumb once again caressing over her cheekbone.

“And… now?”

House sighed.

“I have no clue. Really.”

Bringing a distance of a few inches between them both hung their head.

“Uhm… maybe… I should go home?” Ali suggested, making him nod.

“You need…?” he started, this time looking into her eyes.

“I got my handbag…”, she replied.

House sighed.

“This is…” He shrugged, not knowing what to say.

“Complicated?” Ali offered, picking up his cane from the floor.

“Yup”, House nodded.

“Can I… call you?”

House nodded again while turning around, confusedly staggering back into the hospital while Ali watched him until he had disappeared behind the next corner before walking to the parking lot to flag down a cab.

 

***

 

Wilson found him in his office some hours later, behind his desk, head burried in his hands, obvioulsly deep in thought.

“Cuddy found you already. Don’t believe what she said, I think…”

“I slept with her.”

Frowning, the oncologist sat down in front of the desk.

“Didn’t she have this meeting…”

Looking up, House rolled his eyes at his friend.

“Come on, as if I would do Cuddy. There are mummies younger than her (and NO WAY that old shrew is only 38!!!!).”

“You did…”

“I know, no reason to remind me of that.”

Wilson closed his eyes, reminding himself whom he was talking to.

“So. You did sleep with somebody… and?”

“She is 27 years younger than me. And I thought it was a one nighter… and now I kissed her…”

Wilson took a deep breath.

“What for heaven’s sake are you talking about?”

His friend again rolled his eyes.

“Thank god you’re a doctor… you would suck at putting clues together…”

“House!”

“Ali. When you dosed me with antidepressants… she had her 18th birthday, and seduced me… more or less, I somehow willingly was taking part, but…”

Dumbfolded the oncologist looked at him.

“You slept with your daughter?”

“Huh?!”

“That girl… you said…”

“I didn’t say anything. You assumed”, the diagnostician informed him.

“So she isn’t…”

“Hell, no. You should know when I’m playing with your mind.”

“That would expain all the people in front of Cuddy’s door”, Wilson concluded, seeing his friend run a hand over his face.

“So… you did…?”

“Yup.”

“Wow.” Leaning back in his seat Wilson took a long look at House, who was frowning at him.

“That’s all you’ve got to say? Wow?”

“Well… from my point of view it definitely deserves a wow… Wow…”

By now the diagnostician was shaking his head.

“You get all worked up because you think I sired her, and when I tell you I did her you just say Wow?!”

“Actually, I also am thinking about what would have happened if I had told Cuddy that instead of the daughter story… she’d have spit fire!”

“It’s none of her business”, House growled, hiding his head again in his hands.

“I think she made it her business. She doesn’t believe Ali’s your daughter.”

“At least she’s smarter than you”, the diagnostician grumped.

“She believes she want’s to rip you off. She wanted to call the police once more”, Wilson stated.

“Great.”

Complicated really was the perfect word.

“You really like her, don’t you?” Wilson asked silently, intently watching his friend who slumped back in his seat, a confused expression on his face.

“Yah… and I don’t know what to do now…”, House answered directing his blue eyes at his friend who shrugged.

“Don’t look at me. Three failed marriages, remember?”

“Yup…”

Both of them sat silently in the office for a while, with Wilson finally stretching out his legs.

“Sooooo... She’s 18.”

“Yup.”

“How…?”

Rolling his eyes House sat up.

“This is not ‘Sex and the city’, Jimmy.”

“Yah, but it’s the dream of every middle aged guy.”

“Then get your own 18 year old.”

Getting up House grabbed his jacket and his backpack.

“Where are you going?” Wilson wanted to know. It still was way before his normal quitting time.

“Home. Cuddles made me stay late here yesterday, remember?”

“What are you going to do about Ali?”

House sighed.

“I don’t know… it’s… complicated”, he then said, leaving his friend in his office.


	15. Worst case scenarios

He was not surprised when he found a person sitting at the entrance to his house when he stopped his car in front of the building. Ali was resting her chin on her knees, arms wrapped around both of her legs, and was looking into nowhere.

“It’s cold”, he told her when he reached her, making her look up.

“I know. I had to think… I still have your keys”, she then informed him.

“Then why didn’t you go inside?” House asked, stretching out his hand to help her up. She came to her feet with a groan, dusting off the back of her pants. Not recognizing them the diagnostician concluded she had at least been to her own home before she came back.

“It didn’t feel… right”, she answered, following him as he didn’t let go off her but lead her to the entrance door.

 

***

 

She was sitting on the edge of the couch, uncomfortably looking around while waiting for him to reappear.

He surprised her by putting a cup of tea down on the coffee table, making her look at him out of confused, blue eyes.

“It was either tea, water, or scotch.”

“The scotch also would have warmed me up”, Ali grinned halfheartedly before closing the fingers of her right hand aroung the hot mug.

“Yup. But you’re not allowed to drink it, yet”, House grinned back, sitting down next to her, watching her stare at the hot liquid for a while.

“About this afternoon…” he started after a while, not actually knowing what to say. Her eyes didn’t leave the mug.

“That… what I did… I kissed you”, he then confusedly said, scratching the back of his head. By now she was watching him.

“You know that, you were there”, he then stated with with a snort, ignoring the giggle that escaped her mouth.

Running a hand over his face House leaned back on his couch.

“And what am I going to do with you now?” he asked rethorically, watching her also sliding back from the edge of the couch to sit fully on it, taking the cup with her to keep it on her lap. None of them knew what to say.

“Do you think… it was wrong what we did?” Ali asked after a while, watching him out of the corner of her eyes.

“Do you?” he asked back, seeing her roll her eyes.

“I asked first.”

“I’m the older one.”

“And how is that a reason not to answer my question?” Ali snorted, seeing a smile appear also on his face.

“Snarky”, he replied, taking a deep breath.

“I… have no clue”, he sighed then.

“It can’t be that hard. Do you think it was wrong what we did, yes or no?!” the young woman on the other end of the couch asked, directing suddenly hard eyes at him.

“Ali…”

“Yes or no?!” she urged and he knew normally he would have snapped.

“No”, was what came out of his mouth, leaving him surprised.

“No…”, he repeated, softer this time.

“But that still doesn’t mean it was the right thing to do”, he continued, seeing her confused gaze locked on him.

“You just said…”

“It’s complicated.”

“Why? I like you, you like me…” Ali asked, watching him.

“And now you want me to declare my undying love for you? I barely know you!” he sarcastically replied, surprisingly not achieving the effect he had hoped for. Ali once again was just rolling her eyes.

“I did not say anything like that. But… this afternoon… I know there’s more. And don’t you dare to deny it!” she growled, making him sigh.

“Ali…”

“Don’t Ali me.”

“What the hell do you expect from me? Yes, there was a moment this afternoon. It would be great to go for it. But I’m not 20 anymore. You would end up with an old man, you would hate me in five years from now when we go on!” he elaborated while she was putting her cup back onto the table without having taken one sip.

“Or, with my luck, we go for it, I end up knocking you up, your father kills me, and I have two people more hating me…” House continued, not noticing her sneaking closer.

“You wouldn’t have to care anymore if my Dad killed you already”, her voice next to his ear surprised him when she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Maybe it won’t be like that”, she said, making him remember the outcome of the last time she had used that sentence.


	16. Five years

The nurse was annoyed by the sound his cane made when he let it hop on the floor. Yet, she didn’t dare to say a word. Who would know what else he would come up with if she didn’t let him play with his cane. Nevertheless she sent the female doctor a thankful glance when she sat down next to House, and the hopping of the cane stopped.

“They threw me out”, he complained.

“And you are surprised by that, because…?” Allison Cameron asked, smiling softly when the hopping started again and the nurse sighed loud enough to be heard in the whole hospital.

“I should be in there”, he stated.

“And why did they throw you out?”

“I was thinking loudly if that kid in there was even old enough to be a doctor”, he shrugged, rolling his eyes when the soft smile did not disappear.

“Did you think you’d be sitting here, five years ago?” she asked, getting another thankful glance from the nurse when he needed to think and forgot about his cane.

“Five years ago Cuddy was presenting me the results that I wasn’t Ali’s father, her parents wanted to either sue me, or kill me, or both, and I didn’t know about what to laugh first”, he stated, making Cameron sigh.

“It cost Cuddy her job.”

“Yah, because she was stalking Ali. And don’t say you don’t like the new boss.”

“I do like him. Though I was surprised he took the job, that he actually does his job, that he still has it, and that he seems to like it.” Not to forget that he was quite successful in what he was doing.

Everybody had been surprised, most of all Greg House himself that he was on the short list of people the board suggested as successor of Dr. Cuddy.

First he had thought about fighting against it. Then he thought it would be fun to see how far he could get.

He would never become a bureaucrat like Cuddy had been, but for that he had his people, making polite phonecalls, collecting money for the hospital. Greg House always had been good in delegating things.

He also always had been good in bargaining and calculating, and he still didn’t know if it was a bad joke that they actually gave him the job.

All he knew was he did like the challenge.

Five years later he was still sitting on the big chair in the big office. Five years later he still took a case once a week, chewing on it, watching the new head of diagnostics and little diagnostician-ducklings watch in awe how he solved the case.

“You ever thought you would sit on my chair?” he asked Cameron who was leaning back against the wall.

“No. Five years ago I just had dumped Chase and thought about leaving Jersey. He was so pissed when you offered me your old position.” Her gaze wandered to a man that was lazily ambling down the hall until nurse Brenda noticed him, shooing him into one of the exam rooms.

“You will never tell me where you found him, right?” she asked, playing with the golden ring on her finger, actually laughing when the door was opened again only seconds after Brenda had turned her back to it. Rolling her eyes the old nurse prepared a tirade only to get a cheeky grin and a patient file, sent out with a diagnosed patient.

“Nope.” House also leaned against the wall, watching Dr. Sam Bell wink at his wife before turning towards the other patients in the waiting area. The younger man with his sometimes really dark vision of the world had reminded him of himself. Instead of putting him up with Wilson in oncology he had sent him to the diagnostics team.

“But it was a good hunch, wasn’t it?” he wanted to know.

“One of the best you ever had”, Cameron confirmed, watching the door to the room on the other side of the floor open and her always impatient boss jump up.

“You know, I always though the thing between us didn’t work because I was too young”, she stated, getting a quizzical look.

Cameron just shrugged, the soft smile appearing again.

“Seems, I wasn’t young enough”, she then said, watching the corners of his mouth curl upwards before he disappeared through the door.

 

***

 

“Hey.”

He silently closed the door behind him, watching the doc with the babyface direct a fearful glance at him, making him grin inwardly. So he still had the vibe…

“How do you feel?” he asked, closing up to the bed in the room, his hand immediately caressing over the soft skin of the young woman’s cheek.

She made a face at him.

“Making them was more fun, really”, Ali stated, directing her glance towards the two small beds next to hers.

“I told you I would end up knocking you up”, House grinned.

“And the overachiever you are it of course had to be twins”, she grinned back, catching his hand on her cheek, kissing his palm.

The doc with the babyface saw his chance to escape from the room when House used his cane to drag a chair next to the bed.

Both of them were silent for a while, hands entwinded, watching their children sleep.

“What do you think?” Ali asked.

“That our life will be one hell of a story to tell to our grandchildren”, House grinned, making her giggle.

“And what do you think?” he wanted to know after a while.

“That I was right five years ago.”

 

 

 

END

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Gregory. - ART](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10328843) by [Nessaiya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nessaiya/pseuds/Nessaiya)




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